Baekbal Noin 백발노인
Medium undead, neutral evil
Armor Class 17 (natural armor)
Hit Points 187 (22d8 + 88)
Speed 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
STR 6 (−2) · DEX 18 (+4) · CON 18 (+4) · INT 16 (+3) · WIS 18 (+4) · CHA 20 (+5)
Saving Throws Con +9, Wis +9, Cha +10
Skills History +8, Insight +9, Perception +9, Stealth +9
Damage Vulnerabilities radiant
Damage Resistances acid, cold, fire, lightning, thunder; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks
Damage Immunities necrotic, poison
Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, grappled, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, prone, restrained
Senses truesight 60 ft., darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 19
Languages Common, Celestial, and one regional dialect
Challenge 13 (10,000 XP)
Traits
Incorporeal Movement. Baekbal Noin can move through other creatures and objects as if they were difficult terrain. He takes 5 (1d10) force damage if he ends his turn inside an object.
Silent as the Grave. Baekbal Noin makes no sound. He has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing to detect him.
Authority Sense. Baekbal Noin always knows the humanoid within 1 mile that currently holds the greatest mundane authority (for example, a village chief, mayor, or captain). Magic that blocks divination does not foil this sense.
Vengeful Manifestation. The first time a creature attacks Baekbal Noin or speaks ill of a rightful ruler within 120 feet of him, he can immediately use White-Hair Curse as a reaction (recharge is unaffected).
Actions
Multiattack. Baekbal Noin makes two Spectral Touch attacks.
Spectral Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 18 (4d8) necrotic damage, and the target must succeed on a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or have its hit-point maximum reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the target finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit-point maximum to 0.
White-Hair Curse (Recharge 5–6). Baekbal Noin targets one creature he can see within 60 feet, preferring a current or future community leader identified with Authority Sense. The target must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature’s hit points drop to 0, it falls unconscious, and it dies at the next midnight unless the curse is ended. On a success, the creature takes 45 (10d8) necrotic damage.
Ending the Curse. The curse can be lifted by a remove curse or greater restoration spell cast at 6th level or higher, or by a day-long memorial rite that honors the unjustly executed King Gongyang (or an equally fitting atonement determined by the DM).
Bonus Actions
Baleful Glare. Baekbal Noin targets one creature he can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the end of Baekbal Noin’s next turn. While frightened in this way, the creature’s speed is halved.
Reactions
Drifting Step. When a creature enters a space within 5 feet of Baekbal Noin, he can move up to 20 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Lore
A ghost resembling a gray-haired elder; his appearance foretells the death of a settlement’s chief.
Baekbal Noin (백발노인, “The White-Haired Old Man”) isn’t just another ghost story in Korean folklore; he’s a unique spirit whose existence is tied to a specific moment in history and a single stretch of mountain road. The tale reaches back to the end of the Goryeo dynasty. Its last ruler, King Gongyang—the 34th monarch—was described as gentle and indecisive, a man who “never wanted to be king.” He was put on the throne in 1389 out of political necessity more than personal ambition.
Local legend fixes the ghost to Samcheok and, more precisely, to Salhae-jae (살해재), literally “Murder Pass.” Jeju lore holds that Gongyang and his sons were executed there after the new Joseon dynasty seized power. The unjust killing of someone so exalted, people say, birthed the spirit now called Baekbal Noin.
From Korean Bestiary 5E, p. 10 · Fern Flower Press